Wellington North Council got heated Monday night over a decision to put out a tender to demolish the Lion Roy Grant Pool in Mount Forest.
At one point Mayor Andy Lennox told one resident he was “out of order” for shouting questions over council members who were trying to explain the Township’s position.
Resident Tom Potts appeared before council to object to the $5.5 million cost to build a new pool.
“The fact that our existing facility could possibly be repaired and upgraded at a pittance of the cost and in a much shorter time, should possibly been made public knowledge and considered long before a decision to construct a new pool,” said Potts.
Lennox took exception to claims the process was not transparent, calling the accusation “patently unfair.” Lennox maintained there were reports and public consultations before the decision to decommission the pool was made.
A staff report included in Monday’s agenda package listed the need for extensive renovations to the existing site as the reason behind the decision. The report explained the bath house did not meet accessibility standards, the pool walls would need to be inspected and repaired, a new liner and recirculation system were needed at cost of nearly $200,000. There were also concerns about its proximity to the municipal water well given new requirements for source water protection.
The pool was closed last year after failing a public health inspection.
It was decided in 2022 to begin the process of decommissioning the pool and moving forward with plans to build a new outdoor pool at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex.
“Nobody on this panel likes the dollar amount that’s involved, we’d all like to have a pool in Mount Forest for much less than what’s proposed but this is where we are today and we’re working with the community and hoping the community will rally around this project in order to make it a reality,” said Lennox.
Council approved tendering the demolition of the pool. A water tower is planned for the site in 30 years time when the existing stand pipe reaches the end of its service life.
